Angela Wanjiku is on a path to promoting inclusivity through the creation of clothing designed to meet the functional needs of people with disabilities. ‘Hisi’ is Kiswahili for feel, which is how her target clients interact with things.
The uniqueness of her pieces is that they incorporate tactile braille phrases and prints that can be felt by touch, allowing visually impaired users a meaningful way to express themselves. “Through this, visually impaired people can easily know size and other clothing details.” The clothing also features a QR code tag that is being developed. When scanned with a mobile phone’s TalkBack assistive technology, the tag provides an audio description of the garment, including its size, colour, material, and care instructions.
For sighted customers, the braille is an aesthetic detail that acts as a conversation starter about disability.
While completing her final year as an undergraduate student at the University of Nairobi, Wanjiku was inspired by the people she had interacted with at her home in Thika. She began to wonder how her skills in fashion and textile design could be applied.
"Most museum exhibits are behind glass, out of reach for visually impaired people, which prevents them from having a rich experience in those spaces."
She focused on a group of visually impaired people in Thika. There are two schools for visually impaired learners in the area. She questioned how they interacted with fashion, shopped for clothes, and how they dressed. Seeking answers led to her research paper and, eventually, the creation of Hisi Studio in 2018.
Wanjiku aims to change the culture around public spaces like galleries, libraries, archives, and museums. “Most museum exhibits are behind glass, out of reach for visually impaired people, which prevents them from having a rich experience in those spaces.”
Faith and family are her compass and anchor. She believes in God and sees her work as a mandate to bring God glory.
-Ndugu Abisai